Hog feeder



March 14, 1950 L. A. BOLAND 2,500,270

' Filed Nov. 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HOG FEEDER LEE A BOLAND L. A. BOLAND March 14, 1950 HOG FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov 20, 1945 LEE A. BOLAND Patented ar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HGG FEEDER Lee A. Boland, San Diego, Calif.

Application November 20, 1945, Serial No. 629,779

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to animal feeding devices, and more particularly to a hog feeder.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved livestock feeder of simple construction which has a large feed capacity and wherein waste of feed is substantially prevented.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved hog feeder of the rotary type wherein feed is efficiently delivered to the feeding trough and wherein means for eliminating clogging of the feed is provided.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a hog feeder constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, H designates the base trough portion of the feeder device, said base portion comprising a plurality of radial horizontal support bars I2 welded at their inner ends to a vertical shaft l3 and welded at their Outer ends to an annular vertical wall member l4 formed with an outwardly rolled peripheral top head portion I3. radial bars I2, and welded to the inner wall surface of annular member I4 is a circular horizontal plate I5, and welded to shaft member I3 and supported on and welded to plate i5 is a conical member l6 coaxial with shaft l3.

Telescopically engaged with the upper portion of shaft I3 is a sleeve member ll whose top end is welded to a transverse bar member l8. Se cured to bar member I8, as by welding, is a cylindrical container member I9 arranged coaxially with shaft I3 and depending into the circular trough defined by annular member I4. Transverse bar member I8 is formed with a central vertically threaded boss 26 through which is threaded a bolt member 2! the lower end of which is rotatively supported on the top end of shaft l3, thus providing a pivot bearing for the cylindrical container I9 with respect to shaft l3. The top end of bolt member 2| is offset to define a handle portion 22 for manual adjustment of the height of container I9 with respect to the base trough Ii in accordance with the texture of the feed to be dispensed from the container. A looknut 23 provided with a wing 1ug24 is threadedly engaged with bolt member 2| for locking said Welded to and supported on 2 bolt member in adjusted position with respect to boss 2!).

Welded to the lower portion of sleeve I! is a conical baffle member 25 upon which the main bulk of the feed in container member [9 is supported, the periphery of said bafiie member 25 being spaced from the internal wall surface of member is adjacent the lower edge portion thereof to allow feed to gravitate outwardly therefrom into the base trough I I,

Conical baffle member 25 is braced by a plurality of radial rod members 26 projecting therethrough and welded to said baffle member, and welded at their respective ends to sleeve I! and the inner surface of container member l9.

Rotatably mounted in the lower wall portion of container member 19 is a short shaft member 21, said shaft member being supported in a sleeve 28 projecting inwardly from the wall of the container member and rigidly welded thereto and to the adjacent radial rod member 26. The shaft member 27 projects outwardly of container member I9 and carries at its outer end a depending lug element 34 held spaced from container member H] by a plurality of washers on shaft 21. Secured to the inner end of shaft 21 is a vertical key member 29 formed with an upwardly projecting portion 30 to which is secured the lower link of a chain 3i, the upper link of said chain being secured to bar member I 8 adjacent the central portion thereof. An additional chain 32 is secured between the intermediate portion of chain 3i and the lower edge portion of container 19 substantially diametrically opposed to the location of shaft 21. A substantial amount of slack is left in chains SI and 32 to provide effective agitating action thereof with respect to the feed in container I9 when said container is rotated on its pivot bearing.

Secured, as by welding, to the lower external portions of container I9 are a plurality of lug members 33, said lug members being located substantially at the same level as depending lug 34.

Projecting upwardly from plate I 5 and inwardly spaced a short distance from the bottom peripheral edge of container l9 are a plurality of stationary agitating lugs 35 which facilitate the breaking up of masses of feed passing out of the container responsive to the rotation of said container on its pivot.

Mounted on the top rim of the container I9 is a removable, downwardly flanged cover member 36 which is provided with a handle 31.

Container 19 is strengthened at its top and bottom edges by external reinforcing rings 38 and 39 respectively welded to said edges.

In operation, a quantity of feed, such as grain, is deposited in container 19 after cover 36 has been lifted ofi. Locknut 23 is loosened and bolt member 2| is adjusted to a position such that the grain will flow freely past the bottom edge of container I9 into the base trough ll. Cover 36 is then replaced. As the feed in base trough H is consumed, additional feed will; gravitate thereto from container l9. Contact of the animals with swingable lug member 3-! will cause oscillation of agitator chains 3! and 32, thereby loosening the feed in the container. Contact of the animals with lug member 34 or with lug members 33 will also cause rotation of the container on its pivot bolt 2i with respect to stationary lugs 35, thus breaking up clogged masses of feed in the space between the bottom edge of container l9 and base trough ll. This provides a substantially continuous delivery of feed to the base trough during the feeding period, provided sufficient feed is available in the container.

Obviously, the agitation of the feed may be also accomplished by contacting lug member 34 and lug members 33 manually.

While a specific embodiment of an animal feeding device has been disclosedin the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the. spirit. of the. invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In an animal feeding device including a base trough, a vertical feed container open at the bottom thereof rotatably mounted on said trough and spaced upwardly from said trough, a conical bafile member arranged within said container adjacent to and spaced above the open bottom of said container and fixedly carried by the latter, said baflle member being spaced from the wall of said container, an element rotatably supported in the wall of said container adjacent the open bottom of the latter and having an end projecting exteriorly of said container wall, a lug dependingly supported on the projecting end of said element and fixedly secured thereto, a key member positioned on the other end of said element and fixedly secured to the latter, slack chain means fixedly supported within said container and operatively connected to said key member whereby contact of said lug by an animal. feeding at said trough causes oscillation of said chain means and rotation of said container, and upwardly extending lugs arranged in spaced relation with respect to each other and fixedly supported on said trough for agitating the feed below the baffle member and between the container and trough when contact of said lug by the animal feeding at saidtrough causes the. oscillation of said chainv means and rotation of said container.

LEE A. BOLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,344,789v Burnett June-29, 1920 1,392,004 Fonts Sept. 2'7, 1921 1,444,428 Robbins Feb. 6, 1928 2,309,997 Thieman Feb. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS,

Number Country Date 713,353 France Aug. 11', 1931 113,992 Australia Oct. 23, 1941 

